Author: lolabump

A fantastic week. Cambridge to Oxford, where we stopped for lunch with Brendan and Laura, then on to Watchet where we stayed with Mum and Dad for a couple of days before taking a train down to Penzance where we hired a car for a couple of days while we hung out with John and Sarah in St Ives and took in the Cornish nostalgia tour: Porthleven, Helston, Mawgan, Mullion.

Then back up to Watchet, where we had a couple of days with Tom and family there as well before we headed back to Cambridge via Bath where we stopped for lunch with Nat and Dodge and family in their new home.

 

 

 

 

Lola. Thursday, August 16. Nice and gentle. Expected and prepared for.

Been watching the stars this year. First Auriga, with its bright star, Capella, then Persius, Andromeda, Aires; later, the Gemini twins, horizontally entwined, rising over Ali’s Cypresses. And Orion after that, and Taurus; the order starts to escape me.

Over in another quadrant, over Peter’s house, the Swan and Lyra (with the bright star, Vega). Cassiopeia.

And then the Plough aligned, tail-down, vertical above the studio. We had some really clear nights and, for the first time, I saw the Plough become the rear-end of the Great Bear, Ursa Major, as I added in the rear and hind legs, and then the head. Lost in pathetic wonder, I was. That opportunity presented itself quite a few times during the year and each time was almost as good as the previous.

And then you have a cloudy week or two, and the clocks change, and you go away to Italy and return two weeks later and look up the sky and it’s completely changed and it takes you ages to work out where everything’s gone and how can it have moved through nearly 180 degrees?!

 

Second time we’ve been. This time, we opted to fly rather than take the train.

Flew out on Weds Dec 20 at 0630. Which meant getting up at 2am to get a cab to Gatwick. Hard, as we were somewhat exhausted. But all went very smoothly — though I had to make the cab driver stop half way so I could go to the loo. Pretty good time to travel, of course, with very little on the roads.

Sabrina picked us up from the airport – she’d been driving a holding pattern round and round the pick-up loop. We ran up and loaded the bags and spun off; pretty sensible way of doing it, really. Spent rest of the day in a daze, eating pancakes, chatting, checking out their new house. Simple but pleasing detached place of which I seem to have no pictures. French (no, really?) doors opening up the living room to the outside. Veranda above, and pleasing woodwork on the roof.

We probably went to LeaderPrice, and the boulangerie later on… And I think we walked up to and around the local woods with Tim. All quickly familiar though it had been three years since our only other visit.

Thursday we went into town. We went by tram and Tim and Sabrina met us there (boys were in school). Isa and Sabrina spent most of the time in the 500 ceramic shop which , it has to be said, is rather wonderful. Tim, I and the girls wandered through town, taking in a toy shop or two, then the aqueduct and a lunchtime sandwich shop (where the girls spent an hour choosing their snack). We walked to a nearby square and sat on the stonework near a group of youths and a guy with a guitar, initially sleeping but later playing. Lovely and quiet. Then back to 500 to pick up Isa and Sabrina and back via the Christmas market at the Comedie, where we had vin chaud and perused various crafty outlets. Bought the girls some bracelets, secretly, to give them on Christmas Day.

Friday. Walked through the woods with Isa and Lola, and then, somewhat to Lola’s displeasure, back via the shops. That evening we went to the local ‘spectacle’ down at Place de Europe. Dancing, stalls with vin chaud and sausages, Father Christmas on a horse-drawn trap on which the kids later had a ride. Bruno and his wife, whose name has at present escaped me, were there, and we met a few members of Sabrina and Tim’s community.

Saturday started with waffles, was followed by a trip to the local market, and continued with a walk along the Lez with bows and arrows. Was it this night, or the next, that there were guests for dinner, a young lady called Louise(?) whose family had moved here from Brighton — mother was French, I think — and an older lady, Felicity, who was quirky and lovely. Both known to Sabrina through Church, I think. The older lady had some great stories. Many to do with her romantic whirlwind engagement and marriage to her French husband. I can’t recall the detail. I think he’s a hairdresser in Nice. Or something. And the story of the local homeless lady whom she helped out and then one day found wandering the streets knocking at doors, or something, and she ended up leaving her at the police station, as they said they’d take care of her.

Christmas eve and we went for a walk with Tim while Sabrina was at church: through the local woods to the water tower and then on up through the backstreets of Castelnau, ending up at a park near the boys’ (younger) school. A lovely wander through the suburban backstreets dominated by the slightly quirky but generally not quite inspiring Montpellier architecture and their attendant Scots Pines and pricly pears.

Christmas day mostly at home. Did minimal stockings, had brekky (pancakes?), then walked to the park we went to the previous day. Cooked lamb and chickens and roast veg and gravy. Opened pressies Played Quirkle in the kitchen as the night progressed.

Boxing day and Isa and I headed off into town on our own.

 

27th and we went off in a hired car to Chateau Montferrand where we walked up the hill (~400m) to the old ruin. Somewhat treacherous up top, standing near precipices in the strong wind, picnicking under  walls where the top stones looked as though they might blow off. Though, surely, they would have done so already?

28th and we went to a causeway-attached island between an etang and the sea at the edge of the Carmargue. Super-windy and darned cold in the wind, but quite pleasant on the leeward side.  We picnicked in the grounds of an ancient church/abbey that used to be the seat of the bishop. Or something. Full of albino peacocks (the grounds, not the abbey).

29th we flew home at 0930. Train to Victoria; tube to Kings X; train to Cambers; cab home.

 

 

Sunday morning and we’re setting off to London to attend Eliza and Richard’s 25th wedding anniversary do at the Shangri-La hotel on the 34th floor of The Shard. Much excited anticipation from the girls, who love a party as much as they love the idea of going up the Shard. Parents also pretty excited and looking forward to seeing R&E after about a decade.

 

Very plush.

And very high up.

Richard said a few words.

Amazing coincidence discovered later…

 

As of Monday, Neve started attending the University of Cambridge Primary School, where Isa works. (We’ve been hoping we could wangle this since Isa started working there after Easter, having abandoned the then-sinking ship of St Philips in January.)

To accommodate this, Isa’s hours have been extended from part- (mornings only) to full-time.

Isa and Neve have to leave early — around 0810 — which means Lola has to leave for school on her own. And return on her own. She loves it!

Lovely holiday let near Blakeny and Holt. Super weather: mostly dry and sunny. Days on the beach (Cley, Wells), walking locally, steam trip to Sheringham. Blooming lovely.

Didn’t have to do much more than walk out of the mammoth house to be in the middle of lovely countryside. Woods, fields, sea, the spires of nearby churches — that was pretty much all you could see. Nearest neighbour was about a mile away down at Glandford and happened to be a lovely little arty cafe and gallery.

We got there on Friday evening without the car blowing up, which was nice. (We’d had a random overheating event a few weeks before which, of course, blew the head gasket.) Mum and Dad had got there a few hours before and were finishing unpacking. The place was amazing — amazing vaulted living area and [insert more hyperbole here].

The next day, Saturday, we wandered down to the nearby village of Glandford and had coffee and pastries and a look around the art galleries there. Very pretty hamlet with some lovely flint-built dwellings including the farmyard that also housed the Art Cafe and galleries (some of the art was pretty good), as well as a small terrace, large house or two, and a pretty church with a, erm, what’s one of those clockwork bell-ringing things. Clarion?

Lola really loves walking Sunshine!

We went to Cley-next-the-sea on Sunday. Mostly pebble beach; salt marsh to one side; freshwater to the other. Lunch from the van; much paddling from the girls, and nearly swimming from Grace. On from there to Blakeney for a quick gander and an ice-cream.

Think we stayed local on Monday. I put together a scavenger hunt for the girls to make the prospect of a walk more inviting. It worked really well, with everything on the list being eventually ticked off. Even a bone. At some point, we (Isa, Dad and I) drove to Holt to pick up a couple of things (toothbrushes!) from Budgeons. We took a brief wander to the town centre (partly in search of Aperol) and then, on the way back, dropped in to Holt station to check out the times of trains to Sheringham

On Tuesday, we took the train to Sheringham from Holt. Yes, of course, it was a steam train. Good fun. Bought sarnies at Tesco and took them to a little shingle working fishing cove. The girls had a lot of fun clambering over the rocks which were covered in children despite a “Danger: keep off the rocks” sign. Having decided there was no more danger there than is represented by clambering around on any jumbled but stable collection of hard, uneven surfaces, and recalling the amount of fun we had as children clambering on rocks, we decided to ignore the sign.

Erika, Chris, Rosie and Tom Rigg all come over for a coffee and a game or two of badminton on Wednesday. They were staying in Cromer — though up to a day or two previously, had been camping only a mile from where we were.

The following day — a real scorcher — we went to the beach at Wells-next-the-sea. Sun, sea, sand, seals — the whole caboodle. The kids had a fabulous time in the water and spent most of the time (about four hours) there. It’s a lovely beach — the same one we went to with Manisha all those years ago — with great swathes of golden sand, clear water, multi-coloured beach huts, a piney spit of land across the channel down which boats chug and seals idle…

 

We travelled on Saturday: the usual train to Stansted and then the 7pm flight to Treviso. Nice and smooth with plenty of time at the airport. All our cabin bags were taken in to the hold, which annoyed us slightly, as some people coming on after us seemed to retain theirs.

Renzo picked us up and took us back to Nonna’s where a pasta fagioli awaited us, along with Nonna and Stella.

Sunday…?

Monday I went to Tasca with Lola to get a new socket for the kitchen. Which I then fitted. In the afternoon, we went to Iperlando for bits and pieces, plus 80 litres of milk for Dedi. Selena, Alvise and Benedetta came visiting in the evening. Later, I helped Claudio (by holding things) while he drilled holes in the bed frame so we could put the legs on.

Tuesday, Mum and Dad arrived.

Wednesday we went in to Treviso. Coffee at Spiga D’Oro and a wander around the centro. The kids had a go on the gallopers. Out for Pizza in the evening to celebrate Dedi’s end of muto.

Thursday. Chilled at home in the morning. In the afternoon, Lola and Mum stayed at home making a cake for Dedi and Mum, Dad, Neve and I went up the Montello and drove down a road that led to someone’s house and nowhere else from the end of which we hoped to see onto the Piave but where more interestingly we met a retired man and his wife and grandchildren and who gave us stories of their life and a bottle of Clinto wine.

Friday. Venice. We took a water taxi from just down from the station to the Rialto. Fantastic. Not much more expensive than the tragetto would have been for all of us. And he was a lovely guy who enjoyed Dad’s conversation about the boat and the business. The boat was lovely; iconic.

Milled around Rialto a bit, then down a calle off the Grand Canal to Al Paradiso – as recommended by Davide’s friend at the rehearsal – for lunch. Decent food, nice quiet location, friendly staff.

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Saturday. Lunch in Marco’s restuarant in Treviso.

Sunday. Mowed the lawn. Susi and Duccio, Marino later, in the afternoon.

Monday. To the commune in Paderno for birth cert. Then on (having dropped Nonna back home and kids with Dedi) to Treviso to get documents stamped, ratified. Found the wine shop Marino had told us about, and a lovely bread/spice/knick-knack shop next door.

Tuesday back to Treviso with Mum and Dad but without the kids so Isa could go to the Tribunal. Stopped for bread and cheese and wine in a wonderful old bar off Piazza Signori. Back for lunch. Mum and Dad went off for a drive (up to Asolo) in the afternoon while I went with Isa and the kids to Treviso. They all had hair sessions booked with Susi.

Wednesday. Coffee with Assunta in the morning. Dad wowed by Stefano’s workshop. Great story of the planer/thicknesser which Stefano’s dad had bought in Venezuala and later shipped back to Italy. Off to Caorle with Dedi after lunch. Quite a long trip and we ended up in Porto Santa Margherita instead. Collected many seashells along the sea shore. Back via motorway so Dad could practice paying…

Thurs morning was goodbye to Mum and Dad :(.  Then nice long bike ride with Isa and the kids down to the commune in Paderno and then on to the gelateria. Treviso again after lunch – trying to do some clothes shopping for the girls (failed).

Friday took it easy as I had “un po’ di malessere”. Chilled around house in morning while Isa went and helped Dedi with a cleaning job at gelateria. Stefi picked us up in the afternoon and we all went back to Bruna’s for merenda and a chat.

Saturday, pasticcio. The kids helped Nonna make the pasta. Bruna came round to help put it all together.

Easter Sunday. Also packing day, as we left the next morning.

Fantastic last six weeks: largely hot and dry. Hottest late Sept days for 67 years or somesuch. Twenty-eight degrees during the last week..

In fact, it’s now October 1 — a couple of weeks since I wrote the par above — and only just turning cooler. We’ve had a succession of short-stay lodgers. First was Carolina (Lola), a German lady whose daughter works for Cambridge University Press and who came for dinner the first night. Lovely, trendy, young-dressing lady whose husband was a carpenter and ran a local business that has been in the family for generations. Then came Maria, from Spain. A warm and sociable traveller from Spain. Had worked in Ireland, teaches in France, writes, translates. A keen decorator and house-improver, empathetic to our ways. And then Christian, left today. A very friendly and very polite man from Dijon. Owns 14 bikes. Works in quality control for a French electromechanical manufacturer.

We gave Lola and Neve some money and let them go to Vinery Stores to buy an ice-cream which they could then take to the park to eat. All on their own.

Lummy.